Apparatus for launching boats.



PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

J. FOROIBR. APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1907.

JOSEPH FOROIER, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

' Application filed September 18.1907. Serial No. 393.561.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH FoRoIER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Apparatus for Launching Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for launching boats and aims primarily to provide an improvement of this nature which can be readily operated in an efficient manner to release the boat at all points of its connection with the lowering apparatus simultaneously.

With the above and other equally desirable minor objects in view, the invention resides in the construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter, described and succinctly defined in the annexed claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout: Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing boat lowering and detaching apparatus, constructed in accordance with my invention in operation, and Fig. 2 is a detailed view on enlarged scale.

Reference numeral 1 indicates suitable davits, spaced apart and secured at suitable points to the vessel, and 2, indicates the tackles usually found in apparatus for lowering boats, said tackles comprising the head blocks 2, fall blocks 3, and the falls 4 engaged with their respective blocks. Fall blocks 3 are provided with links 5, which normally are engaged with the catch mem bers 7 of the releasable connections secured in the boat, as A. The releasable connections consist of catch members 7 which are pivoted for vertical swinging, and keepers 8, the latter being supported for rotation and having engaging portions 8 which normally overlie the free end portions of the catch members to prevent upward movement thereof, as is obvious.

Keepers 8 are fixed to shafts 9, the lat ter being rotatably supported in uprights 10, fixed to respective bases 11, and catch members 7 are preferably pivoted in lugs 12 formed integral with bases 11. Bases 11 are preferably secured in the opposite end portions of the boat, as by bolts or the like. By this construction the releasable connections can be readily secured or removed from the boat as desired. Shafts 9 are provided with outwardly projecting arms 13 which are connected by links 14 to arms 15 of a longitudinally disposed shaft 16, arranged beneath the seats of the boat. Shaft 16 is provided with a suitable handle, as 17, which when moved upwardly v ill, through connections between shaft 16 and the respective shafts 9, rotate the last named shafts simultaneously so as to move the engaging portions 8 of keepers 9 from over the catch members as previously described, thereby freeing the catch members so that links 5 w ill be disengaged therefrom, and the boat thereby freed so that it can be dropped upon the water clear of the lowering apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

An apparatus for launching boats comprising means for lowering and holding a boat suspended in a lowered position, bases secured in the opposite end portions of the boat, catch members pivoted to said bases for engaging said means, spaced uprights fixed to said bases, shafts supported for rotation in said uprights, keepers fixed to said shafts for holding said catch members against swinging, said keepers projecting from the outer ends of said shafts, a shaft rotatably supported beneath said first named shafts and provided with an operating handle, arms fixed to the other ends of said first named shafts, arms fixed to the last named shaft, and links connecting the arms of'said shafts.

Signed at Seattle, Washington this 4th day of September 1907.

JOSEPH FORCIER.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. FILKINs, SARAH B. FOLEY. 

